Could Tyreese Take The Leadership Role Away From Rick On The Walking Dead?

This past Sunday aired The Walking Dead’s mid-season finale, the final episode of AMC’s popular post-zombie apocalypse TV series until it returns on February 10th. While the regular characters had plenty of their own problems, the finale also introduced some new additions to the cast, including fan-favorite badass Tyreese. In the comic book, Tyreese was Rick’s right-hand man, but it’s unclear if Rick and Tyreese will have that same dynamic on the TV series. For now we can only guess how the second half of season three will play out and how Tyreese and his group will fit in at the prison with Rick and his.

In an interview, actor Chad Coleman, who plays Tyreese, talked about his character, how it differs from the comic book, and what season three will have in store for the cast of characters on The Walking Dead. It’s interesting to see a character like Tyreese in action. He still has a strong moral compass, when it seems like every other character on the series does not. Coleman revealed:

He’s an ex-football player and is a humanitarian. He’s someone who really values human life and is going to do what he can to maintain the sacredness of that. In this hyper-violent, post-apocalyptic world, he’s determined to hold on to his humanity and that’s pretty compelling. Having to negotiate that and to what degree he’s willing to exert force and things of that nature.

In the season three teaser, Carl tells Rick that maybe he should give up the leadership role he’s been playing since the beginning of the series. It doesn’t look like Rick will stop being the leader, considering that he is the main character of the series, but if he did, maybe Tyreese would take up the mantle. After all, Tyreese was the leader of his own group. Coleman continues:

A lot of it is being acted upon, people get right off the bat that he’s strong, intelligent, and compassionate — those are all great leadership qualities. And he’s a patient man. He’s got all the leadership qualities but the last aspect of that is how to negotiate what’s coming at you. So we’ll see (laughs).

Tyreese and his group’s backstory is pretty interesting. They were a group from Jacksonville, Florida who made their way up to Atlanta, Georgia to the CDC to find help, just like Rick’s group. It’s curious to think how many other groups out there might have had the same idea. Also, Tyreese and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) are brother and sister. The series seems to emphasize the value of family during a bleak time.

The Walking Dead is shaping up to be really exciting. This season has definitely been better than the last two seasons. It would be nice if the series could do something about Michonne’s character, though. She was great in the comic book but has been just short of disastrous in the TV series. Hopefully, Tyreese’s character will not go down this rabbit hole.

The Walking Dead returns to finish season three on February 10, 2013 on AMC.

Comments

Sam

I hope, if that does ever happen, that it’s only temporary and that the story still follows and treats Rick as the main character. Tyreese seems like a good character, but it would suck if he suddenly became the focus of the show. Not that it’s ever been implied that that would happen, I’m just chasing brain farts.